Did you know that half the bees in the world are gone? We have killed them with pesticides and other forms of pollution. Bees and butterflies are very important to our survival. Without them we wouldn't have most of our plants (that means FOOD)"To keep the bees and butterflies on earth, you can do the following
1. Plant a pollinator garden. Consider the pollinators you want to attract and plant the plants that they need. A little research will show you what they are. In the case of butterflies, this will include both nectar plants for the adults and host plants for their caterpillars.
2. Build and hang a bee box. There are commercial nest boxes available for mason bees but you can construct a simple one using something like small tubes of bamboo. These bees will utilize almost any kind of tube in which to lay their eggs.
3. Avoid or limit pesticide use. This is the most important one of all.
For those of us who like to eat, there are no more important critters than these. Let us all acknowledge that importance by supporting our local pollinators in every way that we can."
from Have you hugged your pollinator today? - Houston Chronicle 6 27 10
Also see:
Fears for crops as shock figures from America show scale of bee catastrophe from the London Guardian, May 2, 2010
Above: "Butterfly Plant" -- attracts butterflies. They grow well in Houston. Ours froze during the bad freeze this winter and came back quickly.
